Sectional ladder



1950 A. w. EDDY 2,517,991

SECTIONAL LADDER Filed Dec. 1, 1947 s She ets-Sheet 1 g INVENTOR.

Aug. 8, 1950 A. w. EDDY 2,517,991

SECTIONAL LADDER Filed Dec. 1, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

Patented Aug. 8, 1950 l sfrATEs o airmalwlizuay, Qhicagwm; v fippl'ication llecen ber 1, niziv 'ser al'nnkvsaiovej- Efllaimsa;(61;.2289-fi6ft This invention relates-to a-ladd'er and moreparticularly to a step ladder More-specifically thi' invention relatesto a stepladder consisting 01%? as plurality of sections arranged to" beconnected together for increasing the vertical extent ofthe laddera I aIt is a well known -fact that one or more step ladders are-usuallyincluded in the various main tenance implements appurtenant to" a homeor place of'bus'iness. Ladders thusutilized are usually of standardheight sothat they may readily-bestored' in out of the way: places whennot in use'. The need, howeveryoften arises: for

ladder: constructions :being' designed so that: they may bereadilydisassembled into sections; 3,116.16! assembled to provide a stepladderr'ofincreased height or vertical extent. g

Another: object is to; provide. av step" ladder having-side: members andladder supports, said sideemembers: and-ladder supports :being formedMaw-plurality of? quick. detachable. sections.

- Stilt: another objectis to: provide :.:a sectional stem-ladder; havingan improved bracket conestmction for. connecting said, sectionstogether.- in

aestudyiinexpensive and effective-manner;

' TL-1856131516. other objects; will become: more clearly-apparent froma; reading of thezfollowing description when examined in conjunction;with flim'drawingsz. 1.

.Intherdrawings; 1 a. i --.Figure .1 a. side elevationali view iofrastep ludder oillconventional size height,v said ladderlmconnectingsections thereto;

Figure 2 is a front view of thexstepladder shnWmIimFigurel; I Y

Elgure issal front view ofa-step ladder;- said isdder having: a:greater" base widths than the ludtl'emshewn immiguresz including bracketmembersxadaptedstobemtilized,

"Figure" 4 isa front'view off'a step ladder, -'said ladderhaving;- agreater base width than the ladder'shown in Figure 3; I i

Figure 5 is: a. side elevationalview of a=- step ladder including aplurality of sections con-- nected thereto for increasing the"vertical'height of the same;

Figure 6- is a perspective 7 view of aportionof a section'attaching'bracket:

Figure T is a sectional view taken along the line 1 of Figure 5;

Figures is a detail side elevational' view-"of 'a portionofasectionattaching-bracket;- Figure 9 'is anend view ofthesame; Figure '10 isa'side el'evationalview ofa brace member;

Figure- 11. is a sectional view-taken along the line I l--l:l" of Figure10. Referring: particularly toFigures- 1 and 2, a ladder of conventionalheight is designated by the reference character: I 0.. The ladder- 0comprises anupperrstep- If to which are connected a pair 'ofianglemembers I2. A pair of? upright or side members v 13- are rigidlyconnected at their upper ends to the step I] ina conventionalrmannerbyboltsor. other: securing: means: The side members? I 3 diverge or slopeoutwardly, their spacing at; the lower. end"v being considerably Wider:"than atrthe top; .A pluralitywfstepsvll are c'onnecte'd' to :the'-sidefmembers' and are in" turn-isupported" by reinforcing rods;- l5.Alpair of: Iadder supports 5' are" pivotally connected at their upperends to the angle members I2; I The ladder supports include crossmembers 16 and are positioned to diverge 'out'wem-dlt in the same manneras the. side members 131 Referring t'ozFigures 3' and 4, ladders 20"and?! are similarly constructed to ladder "I. These ladders includeupper steps 22 and 23 having angle members 24 connected thereto;- Sidemembers: Hand: 28 are connected to the steps "and 23; Each pairof'si'd'e membersalso respectivel} includes steps 29 and 30 and'laddersupportsifl and 32. Thesidemembers 2T and 28 are broken away: as shownin Figures 3 and' i to'more clearly indicate the laddersupp'ortsxw'hichare positioned directly behindthese: members. I

=Th'e step ladderslll; 2'0, and'zl' are all ofc'onventional height andconstruction so that they canail be generally used in projects where thesame working height is involved; Beczatu'se' 'ef their size they canreadily be stored by the user.

Whezrthe userneeds-a ladder of unusual" height he -can readilyaccomplish his purpose by the utflizatiomofi thesladderswithta number"Ofmin adjustments. By disconnecting the side members 21 and 28respectively from the upper steps 22 and 23 he thereby provides laddersections which are designated A and B. By also disconnecting laddersupports 3| and 32 respectively from steps 22 and 23, he thereuponprovides ladder support sections designated C and D.

The ladder section A and support section are narrow in width at the topand wider at the bottomagThe upper ends of the side members 21 ofsection A are placed into engagement with the lower ends of the sidemembers [3 of the ladder Hi to that the members are engaged inoverlapping relation. This relation is best shown in Figure 7. Thesection B is joined to the lower end of section A in a similar manner toprovide for the extension of the ladder, as indicated in Figure 5. Thesupport sections C and D also have their ends in overlapping relation tojoin the parts together and thus provide a firm structure.

i In order-to v properly splice the ends of the sectionsto one anotherin overlapping relation, a bracket designated generally as 40 isprovided. Abracket 40 is provided for each splice and since the brackets.48 for securing the ladder supports .are'similan in structure to theones required for securing the side members, the samereferencecharacterswvill be used for both types,

Each bracket 40 consists of 'a pair of. channel members 41; having legmembers 42. The leg members 42 are bent inwardly toward one another sothat they overlie sides of the side members or laddersupports asillustrated in Figure 7. Each channel member is of .sufiicient length tofirmlyconnect the sections to one another.

A plate member 43 is placed between the ends of;. .the side members orladder supports. Each plate member is provided with flange portions 44which extend angularly outwardly in opposite directions. These'ilangeportions 44 are positioned so that they engage edges of the side membersor ladder. supports." They are rigidly held against the-edges of theladder support or side members by means of the channels 4| which havetheir legs 42 overlapping the flange portions 44. A plurality ofsecuringmembers or bolts 4'5 ex- ;tend through the channels 4|, the side membersorladder supports, and the plate 43 foreffectively connecting themembers together. It can clearly :be;seen,that the relation of parts issuch that a sturdy box section is provided.

A brace 50 consisting of brace'links has its ends pivotally connected tothe plate members 43 .as; best shown in Figures 5 and 8. The brace 50extends, between ladder supports and the side members for'reinforcingthe same andsecuring the ladder .in an openworkin position. A U- shapedclip 52 andrivet 53 connect the links 5| -in pivotal relation so thatthe ladder may be closed up in a conventional manner.

The connection of the brace 50 to the plate members 43-is of primeimportance. since this provides fora, safe and rigid connection to the.boxstructure provided by the bracket 40.

The connection of the sections to. one another :or,- to;' the uppersteps can be by bolts or other securing means whereby the parts may bereadily assembled or disassembled. In the'present disclosure bolts andnuts are shown. I It; can now-be seen that a novel construction has beenprovided wherein a plurality of CD11? ventional size laddersmayquicklybe converted to a sectionalladder of increased height q-toacpo nmodate; more' unusual; working; conditions. ThelcQ iv nticnal-sizeladders can easily be. stored and yet the owner is assured of their usefor many different working conditions.

By the unique and novel bracket construction for joining the sections arigid structure is provided in an inexpensive and simple manner. Bymeans of this construction quick assembly and disassembly isaccomplished.

It is to be understood that modification and changes may be made in thisconstruction which do not depart from the spirit of .the invention asdisclosed or as defined within the scope of the appended claims.

Iclaim:

1. A sectional ladder having a pair of upright laterally spaced sidemembers and a pair of inclined ladder supports connected thereto, saidside members and ladder supports being formed of'upper and lowersections, the upper ends of the lower sections and the lower ends of theupper sections being positioned in overlapping relation, means-torconnecting said sections together comprising a platemember positionedbetween each of the overlapping ends-of theupper and lower sections,said plate member having flange'portionsoverlying edge portions ofv thesections adjacent the ends thereof; a braceexe tending between saidladder supports and said side members, said brace being connected tosaid plate members, a pair of channel shaped'members overlapping each'ofthe upper ends of the lowersections and each of the lower ends of theupper sections, said channel membershavinglegs projecting inwardlytoward each other for engaging 'and overlying the flange portions,1andsecuring means for connecting the members together. I

2. A sectional ladder having a pair of upright laterally spaced'sidemembers, said side members being .formed' of upper and lower sections,the upper ends of the lower sections and thelower ends of the uppersections being positioned in overlapping relation, means for connectingthe section'stogether comprisingv a plate membenpm sitioned between eachof the overlapping .ends of said sections, said plate memberhavingfiange portions overlying edge portions of the sections adjacentthe overlapping"ends',;a pair of, channel shaped members having legsprojectinginwardly toward each other; the legseng'aging 'thevedgeportions of tlie sections adjacenttheoverlapping ends, and securingmeans for connecting said members together-" 3. A sectional ladderhaving a pair ofupright laterally spaced side .membetsj steps connectingsaid side members, said side members being formed ofupper andlowerz'sections, the "lower ends of the upper sections engaging theupper ends ofxthe lo'wer sections iii-"overlappingrelation. A boxstructure at the overlappingends of each section for securing thesections together, said structure comprising a plate member'nly'ingbetween the overlapping ends of the sections 'and having flangesoverlying edges of said sections adjacent the :overlapping endsya pairof channel shaped members oppositely disposedrw-ith respect to eachother, said channel shaped member's having legs projecting toward eachother andi'e'ngaging edgesv of said side members, and securing meansextending through the, channel members and said plate member forconnectingfsaid members together. Y :-;2;' i?

4. A pair of first and second short step ladders adapted to be assembledtogether. to form-i a single step, Jladder. of greater height than each0! said step ladders, each ofsaid step:ladders gnaw comprising laterallyspaced side members connected together by steps to form side membersections, laterally spaced ladder supports pivotally connected to upperends of the side members to form ladder support sections, the sidemember sections and the ladder support sections having a relativelynarrow spacing at their upper ends and a substantially wider spacing attheir lower ends whereby the side members diverge outwardly with respectto each other and the ladder supports diverge outwardly with respect toeach other, each of said ladders including a horizontally extending topstep connected adjacent the upper ends of the sections, means on thesecond of said ladders detachably connecting the upper end of the sidemember sections to the upper ends of the ladder support sections wherebythe second ladder may be disassembled into respective separatedsections, means for connecting the upper ends of the separated sectionsof the second step ladder to the lower ends of the sections of the firststep ladder in overlapping relation, said means including connectingmembers on the separated sections of the second step ladder disposedadjacent the upper ends thereof, connecting members on the sections ofthe first step ladder adjacent the lower ends thereof, and meanssecuring the connecting members together, whereby the side members ofthe first and second ladders and the ladder supports of the first andsecond ladders are connected in overlapping longitudinally adjacentrelation, the side members of the first ladder and the side members ofthe second ladder diverging in the same longitudinal direction toprovide a single ladder of increased height, the single ladder havingits side members spaced relatively narrow at the upper end of the ladderand its side members spaced'relatively wide apart at the lower end ofsaid ladder.

5. A pair of first and second short step ladders adapted to be assembledtogether to form a single step ladder of greater height than each ofsaid step ladders, each of said step ladders comprising laterally spacedside members connected together by steps to form side member sections,laterally spaced ladder supports pivotally connected to upper ends ofthe side members to form ladder support sections, the side membersections and the ladder support sections having a relatively narrowspacing at their upper ends and a substantially wider spacing at theirlower ends whereby the side members diverge outwardly with respect toeach other and the'ladder supports diverge outwardly with respect toeach other, each of said ladders including a horizontally extending topstep connected adjacent the upper ends of the sections, means on thesecond of said ladders detachably connecting the upper end of the sidemember sections to the upper ends of the ladder support section wherebythe second ladder may be disassembled into respective' separatedsections, means for connecting the upper ends of the separated sectionsof the second step ladder to the lower ends of the sections of the firststep ladder, said means including connecting members on the separatedsections of the second step ladder disposed adjacent the upper endsthereof, connecting members on the sections of the first step ladderadjacent the lower ends thereof, and means securing the connectingmembers together, whereby the side members of the first and secondladders and the ladder supports of the first and second ladders areconnected in longitudinally adjacent relation, the side members and theladder supports REFERENCES CITED The following references are of recordin the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PA'IENTS Number Name Date 363,950 Decker May 31, 18871,806,185 Skeels May 19, 1931 2,350,129 Richards May 30, 1944 2,449,056Clark Sept. 14, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date France c Sept.24, 1934

